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Details and screens emerge for HAWX 2

by: Chad -
More On: Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. 2
Ubisoft has revealed quite a bit of information for Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. 2 in a press release today.  It will be set "in the near future" and starts in the middle ease.  A number of Russian nuclear weapons are stolen and HAWX is trying to put down the new threat.  It's all very "Tom Clancy-ish" but creates a framework for all of the aerial action.  

Keep reading to find out what you'll be flying and be sure to check out all of the new screenshots.

EXPERIENCE TOMORROW’S AERIAL WARFARE WITH TOM CLANCY’S H.A.W.X.®2 FROM UBISOFT®

Players Will Take Off for More Thrilling Dogfights This Fall

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – May 26th, 2010 – Today Ubisoft revealed more information on Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X.®2 for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Windows PC and the Wii™ system from Nintendo.

As a member of the ultra-secret H.A.W.X. 2 squadron, the player is one of the chosen few, one of the truly elite. Using finely honed reflexes, bleeding-edge technology and ultra-sophisticated aircraft, gamers will dominate the skies. Developed by Ubisoft Bucharest, Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. 2 is scheduled to ship fall 2010.

About the Game
DEVASTATE YOUR ENEMIES WITH PROTOTYPE TECHNOLOGY
Use all your skills to command an astonishing array of cutting-edge technology and overwhelming firepower, delivered by tomorrow’s finest combat aircraft. From the F-35’s vectored thrust capability to the ultra-secret Enhanced Reality System, you’ll light up the skies with a suite of experimental technology available only to a chosen few.

GET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL TO THE WAR OF TOMORROW
See the enemy’s canopy shatter as your cannon shreds his aircraft. Feel the thundering impact of your laser-guided bombs as you roar close overhead. War may not be pretty, but it sure looks impressive.

PROVE YOUR METTLE ABOVE THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS LOCATIONS
From Moscow to the Persian Gulf, from the Arctic Circle to the Indian Ocean, actual high-resolution GeoEye™ commercial satellite imagery ensures an astonishing degree of realism.

AIR WARFARE BROUGHT TO THE NEXT LEVEL
Fly as an elite tactical aviator:
.. Go head-to-head in close-range dogfights
.. Take off and land on bases and carriers
.. Sweat through night precision bombing
.. Track your targets using silent UAV’s then strike from above
.. Use air-to-air refueling in the middle of missions

For ongoing updates about the game, please visit: http://hawxgame.com/

About Ubisoft
Ubisoft is a leading producer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment products worldwide and has grown considerably through a strong and diversified line-up of products and partnerships. Ubisoft has offices in 26 countries and has sales in more than 55 countries around the globe. It is committed to delivering high-quality, cutting-edge video game titles to consumers. For the 2009-10 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of 871 million euros. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com.


HAWX 2 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS – 1st look
By Bogdan Bridinel, Game Content Director and Emil Gheorghe, Producer.

1. What is the story behind the HAWX squadron?
HAWX is an elite military squadron performing black ops and surgical interventions on behalf of the United States government. HAWX pilots are elite professionals and they have access to the top equipment and aircraft available, ranging from mainstays like the A-10 Thunderbolt II or the F-16C Fighting Falcon to the cutting edge F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II. They also have access to more specialized equipment, like surveillance UAVs or the AC-130U Spooky gunship.

2. What is the storyline and how does it unfold. What is the setting and when does it happen?
The storyline in HAWX 2 starts in the Middle East, in the near future. The HAWX squadron is deployed in the Middle East, where insurgent activity is showing a rise both in the level of activity and in the violence of it. With new insurgent leaders rising in several hotspots of the world and a number of nuclear weapons belonging to Russia being mysteriously stolen, a storm is brewing and the HAWX are sent to the center of it. As the story unfolds, the HAWX will have to discover the source of the new threats and fight this dangerous new adversary. The HAWX will not be alone this time – the story will also show missions of a British naval pilot and of a Russian pilot, all of them caught up in the same complex web of conspiracies and conflicts. You will also be able to catch a glimpse of other familiar characters, as the events in HAWX 2 and all other Tom Clancy games take place in the same universe.

3. Can you tell us a bit about the main characters?
The player will be swapping between three groups, one American, one British and one Russian, each with its own pilots, its own cast of supporting characters and its own dramatic questions.

4. What kind of aircraft we can fly?
HAWX 2 features a very strong selection of aircraft including several new additions. Expect to fly the top aircraft available in the following years worldwide including F-22 Raptor, F-35 Lightning II, Su-37 Terminator, Eurofighter Typhoon, Rafale. You will also be able to fly some of the most iconic older generation aircraft, like the F-117 Nighthawk or the legendary F-14A Tomcat. Apart from that, the AC-130U Spooky and the new UAVs will be playable, each providing a specific gameplay experience.

5. As a Tom Clancy game, how connected with the real world developments is HAWX?
HAWX 2 is driven by the latest military evolutions and forecasts in terms of hardware, tactics and technology. We made sure that we incorporated key moments that the public will recognize from the real world military conflicts such as precision bombing using smart ammunition. We took into consideration for example the ascent of the UAV as an effective reconnaissance and attack platform that allows new tactical options and increased survivability and persistence on the future battlefields. Our approach emphasizes also the increased network centric nature of the incoming conflicts, in which the pilot is just the spearhead supported by a large variety of assets including firepower and surveillance platforms.

In terms of story, we were also inspired by current events and where they could lead. We did this well enough that sometimes we stumble in the media on an event that sounds eerily similar with something that we have in the game – let’s just hope that none of the things that happen in the latter part of the game comes true!

6. Can you give some details about the new weapons and capabilities in HAWX 2?
The main new addition to the player’s arsenal is the inclusion of precision weapons, which allow him to aim and designate the location of the strike with perfect accuracy. There are several such weapons, including a missile that the player can control while in flight.

7. Give us some examples on how you incorporated player feedback from HAWX 1?
Listening to the player feedback, we understood that we needed to focus more on delivering an authentic experience and to add the features that increase this feeling of authenticity and of belonging to a real world. This meant, for instance adding take off and landing (which was requested by many players), but also adding various features that weren’t necessarily requested by players, but we felt would go into the same direction and increase the authenticity of the experience.

8. Can you describe a bit the new environments and technology used for them in HAWX 2?
We are using the top solution available, GeoEye hi-res satellite imagery. Our environments are huge – 130km x 130km – which is what you need when you give players the freedom to sprint around at Mach 2. They offer some spectacular and diverse vistas, including mountains, deserts, mountainous coastal regions and some well known cities, like Cape Town. We also manage to add a great deal of detail where it matters – for instance you will be able to see people going about their jobs in the bases where you take off.

9. Are there drones or UAV’s in HAWX 2? What role do they play?
Yes, unmanned aerial vehicles are in and they play an important role. Using an UAV, you will be able to spy on enemies without being detected, listen in on their conversations and gather important information. Some of this information can be surprising, pushing the story in a new direction. Armed UAVs will also be featured, offering their ground attack capabilities in some missions.